Vaughn Alden Starnes, MD

Faculty

Department of Surgery faculty members, both physicians and scientists, are world-renown in their subspecialties. Faculty members are passionate in their clinical care and research practices, as well as being mentors for medical students and trainees. The department also invests significant funds to provide protected time and lab space for junior faculty to perform research.

Dr. Nikolai A. Bildzukewicz is the director of the Hernia Institute at Keck Medicine. He is also the Associate Program Director for the general surgery residency program as well as the minimally-invasive and bariatric surgery fellowship. Originally from Pennsylvania, he obtained his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Upon graduation from medical school, Dr. Bildzukewicz was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. He then completed his general surgery internship at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Following his internship, he served several months as a General Medical Officer (GMO) at Naval Hospital Great Lakes, providing medical care to recruits going through “boot camp.” He then reported for training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, FL, where he graduated as a Naval Flight Surgeon. He spent the next two years on active duty as a flight surgeon, providing medical care to military pilots, aircrew, and sailors both ashore and at sea. In 2005, he returned to Jefferson to complete his general surgery training. In 2012, he completed his fellowship training in minimally-invasive, bariatric, and robotic surgery at the University of California San Diego.

His clinical interests include the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal and paraesophageal hernias, and esophageal motility disorders including achalasia. He also focuses on the advanced laparoscopic repair of both inguinal and ventral hernias, as well as advanced techniques for abdominal wall reconstruction. His research interests are in advancing minimally-invasive surgical techniques. These include single-incision, robotic, advanced endoscopic, and natural orifice surgery (or NOTES). In addition, he has a special interest in the surgical education of both residents and medical students.

Dr. Bildzukewicz was recently selected by his peers as an outstanding practicing doctor in Southern California. After an extensive nomination and research process, the results were published in Super Doctors Rising Stars, a special advertising section in the August 2014 issue of Los Angeles magazine.